Fish-hook.



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FISH HOOK.

(Applicatiun am Mar. 11, man.

(No Model.)

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FISH-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,503, dated October24, 1899.

Application filed March 11, 1899. Serial No. 708,715. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL M. NEELY, a citizen of the United States,residingat Chester, in the county of Chester and State of SouthCarolina, have invented a new and useful Fish-Hook, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in fish-hooks.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction offish-hooks and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and eflicient oneadapted to be baited both for fish and for animals and capable, when thebait is pulled upon, of impaling a fish or animal and of therebyeffectually preventing it from escaping.

The invention consists in the construction. and novel combination andarrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fish-hookconstructed in accordance with this invention and illustrating thearrangement of the parts when set. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing thespring-actuated frame connected with the lever preparatory to settingthe device. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View, the parts beingarranged as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

1 designates a frame preferably constructed of a single piece of stoutwire doubled between its ends to form an eye or ring 2 and separatednear the center of the frame to form a substantially rectangular loop 3,and the wire is twisted at the endsof the loop at 4 and 5 and has itsterminals extended to form a pair of arms 6. Instead of constructing theframe of wire other suitable material may be employed, and the eye orring 2 is designed to be attached to a fishing-line, or it may beanchored or staked at a suitable point when the device is employed forcatching animals. The arms 6, which are provided at their terminals witheyes 7, support a substantially U -shaped spring-actuated frame 8,having a transverse portion 9 passing through the eyes 7 and forming apintle for hinging 'the frame 8 to the main frame 1.

The spring-actuated frame, which is preferably constructed of twistedwire, is provided at each side with hooks 10, for a purpose hereinafterdescribed, and it has at its outer end a substantially L-shaped arm 11,adapted to interlock with a lever 12. The spring 13, which actuates theframe 8, is mounted between the arms 6 and is coiled, as shown, itsinner end being attached to the transverse portion of the frame 8 andits outer end 14 being secured to thelever 12 near the inner endthereof. The lever 12, which is provided at its inner end with an eye15, is fulcrumed on the transverse portion of the frame 8 at one side ofthe barrel-spring, and it is angularly bent and laterally offset toprovide a transverse portion, which extends through the eye of the outerend of the spring. The outer end of the lever is coiled to form an eyeor loop 16, and the terminal of the wire of which the lever isconstructed is bent to form a hook 18, arranged at the inner side of theeye or loop 16 and adapted to engage the stem portion 4 of the frame 1,whereby the lever is connected with the same when the trap is set, asclearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

A catch 19, which is adapted to engage the spring-actuated frame 8, ispivotally mounted on the main frame at the upper side of the loop 3, andconsists of a bar or strip of metal having its lower end 20 bent uponitself and perforated to receive the loop 3, whereby it is pivoted tothe frame 1. The catch is recessed at one of its edges to provide ashoulder 21 to engage the L-shaped arm 11 of the swinging frame, and atrigger 21 is pivoted at its outer end at 22 to the outer end of thecatch, and its inner end is connected by a wire or rod 23 with abait-receiving hook 24, passing through a guide 25. The guide 25consists of an arm provided at its-outer end with an eye and constructedof wire, which is coiled around one end of the loop 3 at 26 and which isextended along the frame 1, the inner terminal of the wire beingarranged in the bend or loop of the inner end of the i thereon andprovided with prongs, a lever catch.

A spring 27, which is mounted on the catch, has one end engaging an arm28 of the trigger, and this spring 27, which is substantially U-shaped,receives the loop 3 in its bend and has one side secured to thecateh,and its other side, which engages the trigger, is provided at itsouter end with an L-shaped arm.

The trap is set by engaging the lever with the L-shaped arm of thespring actuated frame and swinging the latter into engagement with theshoulder of the catch. The lever is then brought around to the oppositeside of the frame and its hook is engaged therewith. This winds up thespring 9, and as soon as the bait-receiving hook is pulled upon, thetrigger, which operates as a lever, swings the catch out of engagementwith the spring-actuated frame, which, being released, is swung aroundby the spring and its hookshapcd prongs are embedded in the body of thefish or animal. It is impossible for an animal to escape after beingimpaled on the hook-shaped prongs, and as the latter are not providedwith barbs they may be readily disengaged from the victim.

The invention has the following ad vantages: The fish-hook,which issimple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, is positive andreliable in operation and is adapted to be employed for catching variouskinds of game, and as soon as the bait-holder or hook 24; is pulledupon, the spring-actuated frame will be released and will effectuallyprevent the escape of a fish or animal. The lever, which is interlockedwith the frame, enables the device to be readily set without liabilityof a person accidentally springing the trap and inflicting an injury onhimself.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details ofconstruction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof this invention.

Vhat is claimed is- 1. A device of the class described comprising aframe 1, a spring-actuated frame mounted on the frame 1 and providedwith prongs, a lever fulcrumed on the frame 1 and arranged to engage thespring-actuated frame, to set the device, and means for setting andtripping the spring-actuated frame, substantially as described.

2. A device of the class described comprising a main frame, a swingingframe mounted 011 the main frame and provided with prongs, aleverarranged to engage the swinging frame and adapted to interlock withthe main frame, a spring connected with the lever and with the swingingframe, and means for setting and tripping the latter, substantially asdescribed.

3. A device of the class described comprising a main frame, a swingingframe mounted fulcrumed on the main frame, a spring connected with thelever and with the swinging frame, a catch mounted on the main frame andarranged to engage the swinging frame, a trigger arranged to disengagethe catch from the swinging frame, and a bait-holder con. nected withthe trigger, substantially as described.

4. A device of the class described comprising a main frame, aspring-actuated frame having prongs, a trigger, a bait-holder connectedwith the trigger, and a catch adapted to engage the spring-actuatedframe and arranged to be operated by the trigger to release the saidspring-actuated frame, substantiall y as described.

5. A device of the class describedcomprising a main frame, a catchpivotally mounted thereon, a spring-actuated frame engaged by the catch,a trigger connected with the catch and fulcrumed on the main frame, andabaitholder connected with the trigger, substantially as described.

6. A device of the class described comprising a main frame, aspring-actuated frame, a catch pivotally mounted on the main frame andarranged to engage the spring-actuated frame, a trigger pivoted to thecatch and fulcru med on the main frame, a spring engaging the trigger,and a bait-holder connected with the same, substantially as described.

7. A device of the class described comprising a main frame, aspring-actuated frame provided at opposite sides with hook-shapedprongs, a catch arranged to engage the springactuatcd frame, a triggerconnected with the catch, and a bait-receiving hook connected with thetrigger and located at the center of the device, substantially asdescribed.

8. A device of the class described comprising a main frame, a swingingframe provided with prongs and having an arm at its outer end, a springconnected with and adapted to actuate the swinging frame, a leverconnected with the spring and arranged to engage the arm of the swingingframe and provided with a hook adapted to interlock with the main frame,a catch for holding the swinging frame, and means for tripping the same,substantially as described.

9. A device of the class described comprising a main frame provided witha loop and having arms at one end, a swinging frame journaled on thearms, a lever fulcrumed adjacent to one of the arms, a spring arrangedbetween the arms and connected with the lever and with the swingingframe, and means for setting and tripping the latter, substantially asdescribed.

10. A device of the class described comprisinga main frame constructedof a single piece of wire, doubled to form an eye, and twisted atopposite sides of the center and spread at that point to form a loop,the terminals of the wire being extended to form arms, a swinging framefulcrumed on the arms, a spring In testimony that I claim the foregoingas for actuating the same, a catch mounted on my own I have heretoaffixed my signature in the loop, and arranged to engage the swingthepresence of two Witnesses.

ing frame, a trigger connected with the catch SAMUEL M. NEELY. andarranged to be fulcrurned on the loop, Witnesses: and a bait-holderconnected with the trigger, W. O. GRAY,

substantially as described. 1 ARTHUR E. CONWELL.

